Ancestral Quest

Summary

Ancestral Quest (AQ) is a genealogy software application for Microsoft Windows developed by Incline Software, LC. It features data entry with sourcing capabilities and scrapbook extensions; a print engine for standard or custom charts and reports; a web page creator; a collaboration engine; and an extension tool for other genealogy databases.[citation needed]

Ancestral Quest
Original author(s)Gaylon Findlay,[1] Ben Buckwalter
Developer(s)Incline Software, LC[1]
Initial release1994; 30 years ago (1994)
Stable release
v16 Build 8 / 23 September 2020; 3 years ago (2020-09-23)[2]
Operating systemWindows 2000 and later
Size19 MB
Available in16 languages
List of languages
Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish[3]
TypeGenealogy software
LicenseProprietary software
Websitewww.ancquest.com

Ancestral Quest was the first desktop genealogy software program to be certified to access, update, and synchronize with newer versions of FamilySearch.[4]

Languages edit

Developed in English, Ancestral Quest allows for translation to other languages using language modules. These user-created files allow Ancestral Quest screens and reports to be translated or customized. A user can create his or her own language module, or leverage the module of someone else. The Danish, French, German, Norwegian, and Spanish language modules are completely translated. The Chinese, Finnish, and Swedish language modules currently have all basic screens and reports translated.[3]

Features edit

  • Creates a family tree, documenting sources and adding scrapbook items
  • Researches the Internet with search engine interfaces
  • Prints standard and custom charts, reports or books
  • Creates web pages
  • Imports and exports GEDCOM files
  • Extends the use of other databases, such as Personal Ancestral File or FamilySearch
  • Can be used on a flash drive
  • Collaborate with other researchers, using a single master database [5]
  • Can convert Personal Ancestral File (PAF) files

History edit

Version history edit

  • Ancestral Quest 1.0: 1994
  • Ancestral Quest 1.1: 1995
  • Ancestral Quest 2.0: 1996
  • Ancestral Quest 2.1: 1997
  • Ancestral Quest 3.0: 1999
  • Ancestral Quest 10.0: 2002 - collaboration, research manager, global find/replace, PAF5.x support, fan charts, enhanced reporting
  • Ancestral Quest 11.0: 2003 - memorize source citations, detailed change log, print to PDF, drop line charts, online IGI lookups
  • Ancestral Quest 12.0: 2007 - individual summary screen, language translation, UNICODE
  • Ancestral Quest 12.1: 2008 - link and sync with new FamilySearch, flash drive support
  • Ancestral Quest 12.1: 2010 - Build 23 - Switched to FamilyTree API Version 2 for nFS, display age at marriage/death on family view, added ghost lines between children on family view, minor bug fixes
  • Ancestral Quest 12.1: 2010 - Build 26 - Allows use of external viewer for photos, Improved Check/Repair, Assorted Bug Fixes
  • Ancestral Quest 14.0: 2012 - Research Timeline, Color Coding, Tags, improvements to fan charts, FamilySearch Family Tree, LDS features[6]
  • Ancestral Quest 14.0: 2015 - Mac Version available 19 August 2015[7]
  • Ancestral Quest 15.0: 2016
  • Ancestral Quest 16.0: 2019

[8]

AQ technology in other products edit

In 1998, AQ was licensed for resale through Individual Software, and has been sold by them under the names of "Family Ties",[9] "Family Trees Quick & Easy",[10] "Heritage Family Tree Deluxe",[11] and "Family Tree Heritage".[12] In 1999, the AQ code was licensed to the LDS Church and became the base of the Windows versions of Personal Ancestral File. Millions of copies of PAF have been distributed.[13][14][15] In 2001, the AQ code was licensed to Ancestry.com, and became the base of Ancestry Family Tree.[16] Nearly a million copies of AFT were distributed.[citation needed]

Company history edit

In 1998, Incline Software merged with The Hope Foundation. In 2001, this merger ended [17] and Incline Software again became the custodian of AQ.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Gaylon Findlay Biography". Logan Utah Family History Center. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Latest Release Information for AQ 16". ancestralquestonline.com. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  3. ^ a b "Ancestral Quest Language Modules". Incline Software, LC. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Current Certified Software Affiliates". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Collaborate with NetFam". Ancestral Quest.
  6. ^ "New Features in Ancestral Quest 14". Incline Software, LC. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Press Release". Incline Software, LD. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Version History". Ancestral Quest. Retrieved 24 Aug 2022.
  9. ^ "Genealogical Software Report Card". National Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on 2002-10-18. Retrieved 2009-12-21. Family Ties - Program is a licensed version of Ancestral Quest 3
  10. ^ "Family Trees Quick & Easy 5.0". PCMAG.COM. 17 September 2002. Family Trees Quick & Easy licenses its software from Incline Software
  11. ^ "Reviews from the NGS Newsmagazine and its Predecessors". National Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on 2009-02-12. Heritage Family Tree Deluxe - Ancestral Quest 2002 under license to Individual Software
  12. ^ Gaylon Findlay (29 September 2009). "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - Ancestral Quest Receives 2009 FamilySearch Software Awards". Dick Eastman. Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009. "Family Tree Heritage", which is essentially Ancestral Quest 12.0 under a different name
  13. ^ "Genealogical Software Report Card". National Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on 2002-10-18. Retrieved 2009-12-21. PAF - Based on early Ancestral Quest 3 code.
  14. ^ "PAF Compatibility". Ancestral Quest.
  15. ^ "FAQS - "Is there a relationship between PAF and Ancestral Quest?". Ancestral Quest.
  16. ^ "Reviews from the NGS Newsmagazine and its Predecessors". National Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on 2009-02-12. Ancestry Family Tree - Modified version of Ancestral Quest 3
  17. ^ "Incline Software Reclaims Ownership of Ancestral Quest". Genealogy Today. 10 May 2001.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • AncestralQuest, Yahoo! Group